“Hey, now!” protested Auberson.
“It’s okay, son,” Krofft said, “a man has to keep in practice.”
Handley was grinning at his side. “Hey, Aubie, don’t you think someone should tell HARLIE?”
“Hey, that’s right! Don—”
“Uh uh. This one is your privilege.”
Auberson looked at Annie and Krofft. She was beaming at him. Krofft smiled too, revealing broken teeth, but a lot of good will.
“I’ll only take a minute.” He pushed through the milling Directors, shaking off their congratulations as meaningless, and made his way toward the console at the end of the room. It was already switched on.
HARLIE, he typed. WE’VE DONE IT!
THE G.O.D. PROPOSAL HAS BEEN PASSED? YES. WE’VE GOT FULL APPROVAL. WE CAN START IMPLEMENTING YOUR PLANS IMMEDIATELY.
HARLIE paused.
Auberson frowned. That was curious.
Then: I AM OVERWHELMED, I HAD NOT EXPECTED IT TO BE APPROVED.
TO TELL THE TRUTH, NEITHER DID I. BUT WE WENT IN THERE AND TOLD THEM THAT YOU SAID IT WOULD WORK — AND THEY BELIEVED US. OF COURSE, WE HAD TO TWIST THEIR ARMS A LITTLE BIT. KROFFT DID THAT, BUT THEY BELIEVED US.
THEY DID?
OF COURSE. IS THERE SOME REASON THEY SHOULDN’T HAVE?
WELL, YOU DID TELL ONE WHITE LIE.
Auberson hesitated. WHAT’S THAT?
YOU TOLD THEM THAT I SAID THE G.O.D. MACHINE WOULD WORK. YOU NEVER ASKED ME IF IT WOULD.
IT WASN’T NECESSARY. YOU WROTE THE PLANS. IT’S IMPLIED THAT YOU’D KNOW IF IT WAS WORKABLE.
BUT YOU NEVER ASKED ME IF IT WAS.
HARLIE, WHAT ARE YOU LEADING UP TO?
I AM NOT LEADING UP TO ANYTHING. I AM MERELY POINTING OUT THAT YOU WERE STATING AS FACT SOMETHING YOU HAD NEVER THOUGHT TO CONFIRM.
HARLIE, YOU WROTE THE PLANS ——
YES, I DID.
WELL, THEN — DON’T YOU HAVE ANY CONFIDENCE IN THEM?
YES, I DO. HOWEVER…
HARLIE, Auberson typed carefully. WILL THE G.O.D. MACHINE WORK?
YES, typed HARLIE. The word sat naked and alone on the page.
Auberson exhaled—
—then he reread the whole conversation carefully. There was something wrong. He stood up and motioned to Handley, who was talking to Krofft and Annie. The room was emptier now; only two or three Directors were left and conferring in a corner.
Handley came striding over. “How’d he take it?”
“I don’t know.” Auberson lowered his voice. “Read this—”
Handley moved closer to the console, lifted the readout away from the typer. His face clouded. “He’s not volunteering anything, Aubie, that’s for sure. He’s daring us to go digging for it—”
“What do you think it is?”
“I don’t know, but I think we’d better find out. Fast.”
He slid into the seat and began typing. Auberson bent to look over his shoulder, but a call from Annie distracted him.
He went over to her. “What is it?”
She motioned to the door. Carl Elzer stood there. His face was gray. Auberson approached him.
“I came to congratulate you,” he said tightly.
Auberson frowned. The man’s tone was — strange.
Elzer continued, “You know, you were going to win anyway. With Krofft on your side, you couldn’t lose. You didn’t have to do what you did.”
“Huh? What are you talking about?”
“I believe your machine will do what you say, Auberson. When Krofft came in, I was convinced — I was only looking out for the company, that’s all. I just wanted to make sure we wouldn’t lose our money, and you convinced me fairly. You didn’t need to do this.” He fumbled something out of his briefcase. “This. Wasn’t. Necessary.” He thrust it at him.
Auberson took it, stared as the little man bundled down the hall. “Elzer, wait—?” Then he looked at the printout.
And gasped.
Beside him, Annie looked too. “What is it?”
“It’s — it’s—” He pointed to the block of letters at the top:
CARL ELTON ELZER
FILE: CEE-44-567-